Chapter 13: Keep Your Useless Son Under Control!

Qin Dong’s anger flared. Zhao Youting hadn’t asked what happened before demanding an apology on his knees. Like father, like son.

He might once have been intimidated, but his ancestor’s legacy had given him the confidence to stand his ground. He met Zhao Youting’s gaze and sneered.

“Chairman Zhao, I have some advice for you too. Keep your useless son under control and tell him to stay away from me. Next time, he might get more than a beating.”

Zhao Youting stared at him. So did the bodyguard. Was the kid insane, talking to the chairman like that?

The bodyguard reached for Qin Dong’s collar. “You little bastard, you’re asking for death!”

Qin Dong caught his wrist, bent it down, and kicked the back of his knee. The burly man, 1.9 meters tall, dropped heavily to his knees and grimaced in pain. A former soldier, defeated in an instant by a university student?

Zhao Youting’s eyelid twitched. He studied Qin Dong and sneered. “So you’ve had training. No wonder you’re arrogant. We’ll see about that.”

“Get in the car, you useless embarrassment!”

Clutching his wrist, the bodyguard climbed into the passenger seat. Qin Dong watched the car drive away, frowning. Zhao Youting clearly wouldn’t let the matter rest. He would have to be careful.

…

That evening, after changing buses twice, Qin Dong reached his family’s home in an urban village in Nanjiang City. The small house had two stories. The first floor had inexpensive tilework, while the second was an unfinished red-brick shell without windows.

His father, Qin Zhiguo, had planned to save enough to finish it, but Qin Dong entered university that year. Tuition and living expenses were substantial, so the work had been put off for years. Neighbors mocked the family for building a second story they couldn’t afford. During nearly four years at university, Qin Dong had taken every part-time job he could and rarely asked his parents for living expenses.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home.” He pushed open the partly closed iron gate and entered the courtyard.

His mother, Wang Qin, was washing vegetables in an apron. She looked up, delighted. “Dongzi? What brought you home?”

She wiped her hands and felt his arm. “You’ve gotten so thin. Aren’t you eating properly at school? Your father and I haven’t been able to give you enough.”

His heart warmed. “I’m not thin, Mom. I’m stronger.”

She looked behind him. “Where’s Leilei? Didn’t she come with you? Did you quarrel?”

She meant Xu Lei. Qin Dong had once thought he would marry her and had brought her home for a meal in his sophomore year.

“No. She’s busy lately.” He couldn’t bring himself to tell his parents they had broken up, much less that Xu Lei had cheated on him with a rich heir. He didn’t want to upset them.

His dark-skinned father came out of the house and gave Wang Qin a look. “Our son rarely comes home. He must be hungry. Why don’t you get dinner instead of questioning him?”

“Oh, right! Come inside, Dongzi. I’ll cook.”

She soon brought out three dishes and a soup: braised pork, tomatoes and scrambled eggs, stir-fried greens, and seaweed-and-egg soup.

Qin Dong’s eyes stung. It was a generous meal because he had come home. Normally, his parents saved money by eating a vegetable dish with pickles and chili paste.

After dinner, he opened his backpack and revealed the five hundred thousand yuan. His parents were frightened. They had never seen so much cash and feared he had done something illegal. They questioned him closely until he explained that it was his commission for selling three villas.

Wang Qin pressed a hand to her chest. “You scared me to death. I thought you’d gone down the wrong path.”

He pushed the money toward them. “Keep it. Finish the second floor and buy some new furniture. Save the rest for your expenses.”

“No,” Qin Zhiguo said at once. “You earned it. We should save it for you. You’ll need money to marry and buy a home after graduation.”

Wang Qin agreed. “We won’t touch a penny. It’s all for you.”

Moved by their concern, Qin Dong said, “I can earn money now. I’ll pay for my own home and marriage. You’ve worked hard long enough; it’s time you enjoyed yourselves. Besides, the neighbors keep laughing at our unfinished second floor.”

At last they accepted. Looking at their thoughtful, capable son, both fought back tears. He had grown up.

…

After eating a little too much of his mother’s cooking, Qin Dong told his parents he was going for a walk. As he passed a small restaurant called Chuanxiang Stir-Fry, harsh laughter caught his attention.

Three thugs had surrounded a young woman at the entrance. She was in her twenties, with a pretty face and a shapely figure her plain clothes couldn’t conceal. She was backing away in fear.

“What do you want? If you don’t stop, I’m calling the police!”

Qin Dong frowned. Sister Yuru?

Su Yuru had married into the village a few years earlier. Her husband had fallen to his death at a construction site, leaving her widowed young. With no one to rely on, she had opened the restaurant to support herself.

When Qin Dong was in high school, she often fed him there. Knowing his family struggled, she gave him extra meat and frequently refused payment. He had never forgotten her kindness, and to him she had been the woman of his dreams.

Seeing her threatened now, he couldn’t stand by. “What are you doing?” he shouted.